Thursday, 26 January 2017

Poetry Anthology on the Capital Cities of the World

Last year, I was featured along with some of the world's finest poets in the anthology: Capitals (published by Bloomsbury) and edited by the poet and diplomat, Abhay K.

The book focuses on capital cities through the eyes of some of the world’s finest poets. The idea which is in itself profound, is a ‘poetic-scape’ of the world in a book. Featuring poets like Derek Walcott, Kwame Dawes, Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva, Ruth Padel, Jekwu Ozoemene, George Szirtes, Mimi Khalvati, Luis Chavez, G Mend-Ooyo, Sudeep Sen, Claire Askew and several others.

Here's an excerpt from an article written by the Abhay K on what inspired the book:

"After joining the Indian Foreign Service, I worked in New Delhi, Moscow, St Petersburg and Kathmandu before moving to Brasilia. As part of my work, I often visit the capitals of different countries at very short notice. I look for poems on places I visit before setting out as I believe poems have the ability to render a deep and intimate experience of a place. Thus I set out on an impossible journey of finding a poem on each capital city of the world." READ MORE

CAPITALS would be launched in NY at Poets House on 5th Jan 2017, at Jaipur Literature Festival on 21st Jan 2017, at India International Centre on 27th Jan 2017 and SOAS, University of London on 1st Feb 2017.

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Jumoke Verissimo

Jumoke Verissimo

“Jumoke Verissimo’s poetic voice is imbued with a consciousness of African history and an awareness of the socio-economic realities of modern Nigeria with its legacy of colonial plunder, its pathetic attempts at self-governance and the brutality of its military dictatorships. she balances the despair she sees all around her with a degree of stubborn hope and an enchanting lyricism which echoes the style of oral African poetry.” - Funso Aiyejina (Critic, Poet and Professor of Comparative Literature)